


the people who love you always tell you the truth

by wordshavepower



Category: Elite (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Complicated Relationships, F/M, One Shot, Post-Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 14:49:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20762144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordshavepower/pseuds/wordshavepower
Summary: it was her turn to laugh, after which she opened her arms and pulled him in for a hug. he buried his head in her shoulder. she whispered so quietly at first to him that his ears strained to hear. “like i said, the people who love you will always tell you the truth.”Set during Elite season 3, and Guzman and Nadia finally get their shit together.





	the people who love you always tell you the truth

**Author's Note:**

> Like it says in the summary, this fic is set during Elite season 3 and kind of based off spoiler theories and pics I've seen floating around on Twitter and Instagram, so if you don't want to be spoiled in any way, this pic probably isn't for you! I have no idea how graduation works in Spain, but since the creators have said Las Encinas is far more "Americanized," I took my cues from American graduation ceremonies. 
> 
> I just had to get this idea out of my brain, and so, here you are. Enjoy!

i.

He hadn’t come by the store since that Halloween night when he had broken up with Lu for her. But he had decided to risk it this time because he just _needed_ someone—especially now. Polo had killed his sister. Ander had known about it and did nothing. He had lost his best friends, but it’s not like he really had any other friends beyond that. Lu and Valerio had been the ones who had been involved in the making of the video of him and Nadia in the locker room, and Samuel was an ally against a common enemy. Nadia was the only one he felt like he could trust completely at this point.

  
He paused before he turned the street corner. He wanted to be careful, just in case Mr. Shanaa was helping Nadia close up the store for the night. The fluorescent lights were still glowing bright, and he could see her hunched over the register, probably counting the money from the day before she put it in the safe. He didn’t see her parents around—probably, hopefully upstairs. As he approached, he noticed that Nadia was deep in concentration. Her nose was scrunched as she counted out more bills onto the counter, pausing briefly to scribble down numbers on a pad of paper with a pen. He loved when she scrunched up her nose like that. He tapped lightly on the window.

  
She looked up from her work, startled. As her eyes focused on him outside, her face softened. Approaching the door, she asked, “Guzmán. What are you doing here? It’s late.”

  
“I know, I’m sorry. I just…” He paused, considering his words carefully. “I had to see you.” He put his palm up on the door, much like he did on that fateful Halloween. “Please, Nadia.”

  
She stared at him with those deep brown eyes that he could drown in, and finally relented. Unlocking the door, she opened it slightly, stepping out into the darkness to join him. “Is everything okay?”

  
“No. I feel like I can’t breathe in that school anymore. These people were supposed to be my friends, and they hurt me. They hurt Marina. They hurt _you_.” He lifted a hand to her face, stroking her cheek. “That’s the last thing I ever want to do.”

  
She leaned into his touch. For a long while, they stayed like that, neither of them quite wanting to break the spell. But Guzmán knew she would eventually have to go back into that shitty shop, go back to her parents—like she always did. That didn’t stop him from selfishly wishing that these moments with her would last forever.

  
Finally, she stepped back from him. “I’m sorry I can’t take away your pain, Guzmán. But without that trophy, I don’t know what the police can do about Polo. But I think Ander was only trying to protect you. He was faced with an impossible decision, and he screwed up. We’re only human. Try to forgive him, will you?” He saw a twinge of a hopeful smile cross her face.

  
“I don’t know if I can.”

  
“You don’t know until you try.”

  
“You’re right, Nadia. You’re always right.” He chuckled. “Why do you put up with me?”

  
It was her turn to laugh, after which she opened her arms and pulled him in for a hug. He buried his head in her shoulder. She whispered so quietly at first to him that his ears strained to hear. “Like I said, the people who love you will always tell you the truth.”

  
His heart was pounding out of his chest as she began to pull away from him again. “Nadia… Nadia. Look at me, please.” Thankfully, she paused, pressing her nose against his. He pulled back enough to look at her face—her eyes, her lips, the lavender hijab covering her curls. “The truth is that I love you. I love you, Nadia Shanaa. I just needed you to know. Even if we can’t be together.”

  
And with that, he released his hold on her. She stepped back again into the shop. Nadia looked at him for a long moment, the hesitation clear on her face. “Good night, Guzmán. See you in class.” The door shut with a click, the lights went out, and he decided he should probably walk home.

  
Did he regret telling her the truth about how he felt? No. It’s not like he was expecting to hear it back. He just needed her to know.

ii.

As the time passed, it became easier for him to accept that Nadia was a friend and would only be that. She had begun helping him, Samuel, and Rebeca with their investigation into Polo. They would usually gather at Rebeca’s, all of them clambering down the basement stairs with snacks from the pantry and their backpacks weighing them down with homework that would be avoided until absolutely necessary. Sometimes, they would hunker down at Samu’s if Rebeca’s mom shooed them out.

  
However, Rebeca and Samuel had “other business” to attend to that day, so that is how Nadia ended up at his house. She hadn’t seen his new house since they had moved, and he gave her a quick tour before they settled down in his room. His parents, thankfully, were not home for once. They would have probably remembered Nadia as the “Beaudoin girl” from Lu’s charity fundraiser speech, and that was one thing he did not want to deal with at the moment.

  
As she sat down on his bed, digging her things out of her bag, he was taken aback at how normal this all seemed. Like something had finally clicked back into place. He liked having her here with him. “Nadia…”

  
She looked up, a notebook in her hand, backpack still in her lap. “Yeah?”

  
He settled into his desk chair, fidgeting slightly with his hands. “Thanks for helping us with the whole…Polo thing. I like having you around.”

  
She smiled. “I like being here.” Her smile went away as quickly as it appeared. “We should probably talk… I feel like we haven’t caught up in a while, just the two of us.”

  
He leaned forward in his chair, scooting closer to her. “Of course, what’s up?”

  
She took a deep breath and looked at the ground as she began to speak. “That night of the fundraiser, when Lu released that video, I was ready to talk to my parents…about you, about us. I was even going to tell Baba the truth about who bought me that beautiful pink hijab. I felt like I could have it all…I thought I could balance my faith with my desires. And she destroyed that when she and her brother violated me, violated us.” Nadia looked as though she was about to cry.

  
For a moment, he forgot how to breathe. The anger he had towards Valerio and Lu rose inside of him again, and he clenched his fists until his knuckles grew white. “Nadia, I think about that moment every day. What would have happened with us if Lu hadn’t put that video on the Internet. But we can’t change the past.” He put a hand on her knee.

  
“You’re right, Guzmán. We can’t change the past. But we do have power over _our future_.” She stared at him, that hopeful look in her eyes again. The exact meaning of her words took a moment to wash over him.

  
“Wait, _our_—” In that moment, the front door slammed shut. The spell between them was broken once more.

  
“Shit. Hang on, Nadia. Mama, is that you?” He walked out into the hallway.

  
“Unfortunately, no. It’s your favorite delivery boy and drug dealer Barbie reporting for duty.” Rebeca rounded the corner, with Samu close behind. “Hopefully, we didn’t interrupt anything important. How far have you guys gotten?”

  
He shrugged. “We were close to making some sort of breakthrough, I think. Although maybe not the kind we were looking for.”

  
Rebeca squinted at him from behind her red-tinted sunglasses. “What do you mean?”

  
He waved it off. “Nothing, nothing. Come in. Nadia and I were in here.” Rebeca shoved past him into the bedroom, while Samu paused, looking at him almost knowingly. He just merely shrugged once more and resettled himself at his desk. However, he found himself watching the girl he loves more than paying attention to Samuel’s “murder board” of theories.

iii.

It was the day of the graduation ceremony, and she’s been anxious about this day since the first time she walked through the doors of Las Encinas. As she walked out to where everyone else is standing with their parents, she’s suddenly taken aback. Omar is there standing with Azucena and Ander. She felt her father pause behind her. Her mother spoke softly to him, “It’s all right, Yusef. Let’s go find our seats.”

  
Her father hoarsely responded, “No. I want to talk to our son. Nadia, will you help me over there, please?” He offered her his arm, and she hesitantly took it, leading her father towards where Omar stands with his boyfriend. “Omar.”

  
Omar turned at the sound of his name, slightly shocked to see his father standing before him. He put his hand in Ander’s, as if to steady himself. “…Baba.”

  
“I’ve missed you, son. Have you been keeping warm? I hope you don’t keep insisting on wearing those thin jackets everywhere.”

  
“…I have, Baba.” Omar looked down at the ground for a moment. “I want to introduce you to someone.” He looked up, staring Yusef straight in the eye. “This is Ander. He’s my boyfriend, and Nadia’s classmate. He’s also graduating today.” She felt her father stiffen for a moment next to her.

  
She braced herself for her father’s response, closing her eyes for a second. His response shocked even her. “It’s nice to meet you, Ander. Azucena, hello. Is this your son?”

  
“Hello, Yusef. Yes, it is. Omar has been staying with us for a while, I wasn’t sure if you knew or not.”

  
“I wasn’t aware. Thank you for taking care of my son. Omar, I wanted to apologize for kicking you out like that, and for how I treated you before all this. I miss your sister May every day, and I don’t want to keep making those same mistakes with her that I have been with you. I’m so sorry, son… We miss you at home.” Yusef looked like he was blinking back tears.

  
Omar was taken aback a bit. “I missed you as well, Baba, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to forgive you right away.”

  
“I understand, son. We’ll never know unless we try to heal. Can I give you a hug at least?”

  
Omar opened his arms, and Yusef fell into them. Both broke down in tears. As they pulled apart, Yusef looked at both of the children he had left. “I want you two to be happy. I want you two to be honest with me and your mother. This is the proudest day of my life, I think.”

  
“Thank you, Baba.” She smoothed out the wrinkles in her polyester gown and looked around the crowd for someone. There he was, standing with his parents in a corner by themselves. Guzmán didn’t look happy to be graduating. Maybe it was because Marina wasn’t here to cross the stage with them, or maybe because Polo was still free, a constant reminder that he had yet to pay for his crimes. She wanted to talk to him. They hadn’t been able to talk since that afternoon in his room, as they were constantly surrounded by other people or overshadowed by other things.

  
She summoned her courage and looked her father straight in the eye, just as Omar had moments ago. “Baba, I do want to be honest with you and Mama. And I have to tell you something. I don’t want to hide anything anymore…”

  
“Yes, Nadia?”

  
She swallowed hard and steeled herself. She had to do this if she wanted to be with Guzmán for real. She needed to for their future. “Baba, I am in love, and I want to be with him. I want you to understand. Please, I am begging you.”

  
Yusef nodded. “I understand. Who is he?”

  
“Yeah, Nadia. I want to know too!” Omar chimed in, smiling at her. Ander gave her a knowing look beside him, and then nodded as if to reassure her. _It’ll be okay._ She smiled, and then turned again to where Guzmán was standing. This time, she found him looking back at her.

iv.

The graduation took forever, a tedious affair overall. Omar had to leave in the middle of it to go to work at the club. Valerio was throwing a graduation party there later, and he had to go help set up. Nadia agreed that she would see him there later. She hadn’t had time to talk to Guzmán before the ceremony. It started soon after she had told her father about her relationship with him, and it was clear that it would be a lot for her father to process at first. But at least, he was trying to understand, and that was a big step for him in general.

  
As soon as the ceremony ended, she was on her feet, scanning the crowd for him. _Guzmán, where are you?_ He had vanished. His parents were gone too, gone as quickly as they had come. Maybe the day had been too much for him. She understood. She still missed May every day and graduating without her sister here to help her celebrate was sad. Maybe one day, she would be able to find her.

  
She settled for texting him: “Hey, sorry I missed you at the graduation ceremony. I hope to see you at the party tonight. I really, really need to talk to you about something.” She hit “send” before she could overthink and then delete it. They could finally be together. They could be free.

  
She hugged her friends tightly when they approached. “We did it! We graduated!” Rebeca laughed and Samuel swept her off the ground, spinning her around. Her parents kissed her cheeks, and Azucena congratulated her again on being the valedictorian. This was the happiest she had been in a long time.

  
They all headed to the party together, and immediately went up to the VIP section. She spotted her brother making drinks at the bar, Ander sitting near him. Lu was sitting in the corner while Valerio was dancing wildly, and Polo and Cayetana were deep in conversation, speaking in hushed tones. Samuel watched them with some interest, and then spotted Carla coming into the club. Rebeca rolled her eyes as he went off to talk to her, and then asked, “Who are you looking around so crazy for?”

  
“Do you see Guzmán anywhere?”

  
“Ah, I should have known. Of course.”

  
She turned back towards the door. “I’m going to look outside; I’ll be back soon.”

  
Rebe merely responded with, “I’m going to have your brother make me a strong drink if I’m going to make it through this party.”

  
As soon as she reached the entrance, she saw him pacing back and forth on the stairs as if trying to decide whether to go in the club or not. She had to stop him before he left. “Guzmán! Wait! Please!” She ran towards him, dashing down the stairs.

  
He turned and stopped near the street. “What, Nadia?”

  
She skidded to a stop next to him. “I need to talk to you. It’s important.”

  
“Nadia, please. I can’t do this back-and-forth anymore. I thought we could be friends. I really, really tried. I did, but it’s just too painful.” His face was sour, mouth twisted up in a frown.

  
“Guzmán, please. I don’t want to fight. Not now.”

  
He sighed, “Nadia…”

  
She stopped him before he could say anything else. She just wanted him to know. “I love you! Okay! I love you, Guzmán Nunier. The people who love you tell you the truth. And the truth is that I want to be with you.”

  
He froze for a moment, and then he began to smile. She had never seen him smile that big. “I love you too.” He swept her up in a hug, lifting her off the ground. She felt him smile into her hair, and then put her down slowly, as if he never wanted to let her go. She never wanted to let him go.

  
After she was back on solid ground, she pulled him in for a kiss, holding his face with her hands. He slid his hands back around her waist, and they stayed like that for a long time. They were finally happy.


End file.
